The Big Help Out at Brookwood Military Cemetery

On Friday the 7th of June 2024, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission took part in The Big Help out for the first time.

We offered people the opportunity to get involved with mulching, weeding and tidying of borders in the Canadian and Royal Hospital Chelsea plots at Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, is our largest site in the United Kingdom, where we commemorate over 5,000 casualties of the First and Second World War. Throughout the year, the site is constantly being maintained by our fantastic on-site team.

We welcomed seventeen volunteers to Brookwood, all lived nearby and for some, it was a first-time visit to the cemetery  The group took part in weeding, mulching and tidying of borders on the plots, and we are very grateful for their efforts and enthusiasm to get involved!

The volunteers were able to discover more about the operational work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and also had guided tours with our amazing Brookwood Volunteer Tour Guides, Paul Iverson, and Martin Olney, who explained the history of the CWGC and Brookwood military cemetery as well as sharing the stories of some of the casualties commemorated at the site.

The Big Help Out is an international initiative which happens annually, and seeks to encourages people across the nation to volunteer to get involved with a huge range of causes in their local communities, or perhaps try something new.

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered to get involved, and the staff who were onsite to support the volunteers. We look forward to seeing you again next year!